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Granddaughter of first Redskins owner wants team name changed

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The granddaughter of George Preston Marshall, the original Washington Redskins owner and the man who gave the team its nickname, told Leesburg Today that the team "needs to change the name." 

“In this day and age, it’s just not right,” granddaughter Jordan Wright said. 

Wright's call for a name change comes a few days after U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on ABC News that the name is offensive and "ought to be changed." 

The Redskins hold the stance that the team name honors Native Americans, while critics allege that the name is racist and offensive toward Native Americans. 

The national Change the Mascot campaign, launched by the Oneida Indian Nation, issued a statement on Thursday in support of Wright's comments:

“We applaud Ms. Wright for speaking out and calling for a change. She could have remained silent, but instead chose to publicly repudiate her grandfather’s legacy and stand on the right side of history. This is yet another wake up call to the NFL. When even the kin of the owner who gave the Washington team its name is now demanding a change, it is yet another sign that the team’s current ownership is standing on the wrong side of history. As Ms. Wright said: they need to change the name.” 

Current Redskins owner Dan Snyder has repeatedly stated he will not change the team's name, and recently NBC announcer Al Michaels said Snyder told him he'll change the name "over my dead body."

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- Molly Geary